Su Zhou

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Causes, symptoms, and treatment of depression

What is depression?

Feeling sad or moody or low is a common
thing that everyone experiences. However, having such feelings for a long time,
that too, without any apparent reason is known as depression. The person who
suffers from depression is usually unaware of the reason for him being low or
sad. This feeling can continue for weeks, months, or even years.

What are the causes and risk factors for depression?

Depression is a complicated problem that
has no particular reason. It is believed that a combination of biological,
psychological, and social factors contribute to depression.

The various risk factors for depression are loneliness,
lack of social support, financial strain, marital or relationship problems,
family history of depression, or alcohol or drug abuse.

What are the various types of depression?

1. Mild depression

Mild depression is a low-grade depression and is also
known as Dysthymia. A person with mild depression may feel mildly depressed and may have short
periods of normal mood too. The symptoms of mild depression are not
very strong or evident.

There is a possibility that the person
experiences major depressive episodes on top of dysthymia, this condition is
referred as “double depression.”

2. Manic depression

Manic depression involves cycling mood
changes. The person may experience episodes of depression alternate with manic
episodes. Though the switch from one mood to the other is gradual, every
episode can last for a few weeks.

Seasonal affective disorder

This type of depression occurs only
when there is a change in the weather. Most of the people experience depression
on the onset of winters. However, depression during the summer months is less
common.

4. Major depression

In case of major depression, the person is
unable to enjoy his life to the fullest. The symptoms are constant, however
their severity may fluctuate. If major depression is ignored, it can typically
lasts for about six months. Major depression is a recurring disorder that
requires proper care and treatment to avoid recurrence.

What are the signs and symptoms of depression?

The signs and symptoms may differ from
person to person. The common symptoms of depression are:

Feeling sad or low

Disturbed sleep or no sleep

Loss of energy

Tiredness

Feelings of worthlessness

Thoughts of death or suicide

Attempt to suicide

Loss of ability to think or make
decisions

Tests and diagnosis of depression

It is extremely important to consult a
general practitioner or mental health specialist when suffering from depression. An expert will be able to find the right cause for your depression.
Depression can be diagnosed with the help of interrogation. The doctor may ask
you about your history and important details of your life. Also, there are
various structured interviews that are designed to help easily diagnose
depression.

What are the treatments available for depression?

Depression is a treatable mental
illness. Support, Psychotherapy, and Drug Treatment are three components to the management of depression.

A. Antidepressant medicines:

Antidepressant medicines are ideal for
treating moderate or severe depression. These medicines help in controlling the symptoms of depression like low
mood, less sleep, reduced concentrations, etc. By controlling these symptoms,
the person will be able to lead a normal life and also will be able to handle
his problems tactfully. Such medicine usually takes about 2 to 4 weeks to show
noticeable results. A course of antidepressants may last for a minimum of 6
months.

Psychological treatments are all known
to be very effective in treating depression. The idea is to talk to the patient about his thought and views and try
to change those that lead to sadness and depression.

1. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is
based on the idea that a person’s thought process can cause mental health
problems like depression. The expert tries to understand the thought pattern of
the patient and also tries to bring out the harmful or unhelpful ideas that
make the person sad. By doing so, the expert can accordingly talk to the
patient and try to change his views that lead to depression.

2. Interpersonal therapy (IPT) rests on
the idea that your personal relationships may play a role in determining your
mental state. The expert aims at changing the thinking and behavior of the
patient to improve his interaction with others.

Whether a person suffers from mild depression or severe depression, it is important that he talks to a loved one.
Care and support can help more than medicines to improve the condition of a
person with depression.